ADULT BIBLE CLASS

When the church school ceases to attract and teach adults as well as children, it misses one of its most important functions, for adult spiritual illiteracy is a serious problem of the contemporary scene.

Most of us have seen and probably inwardly smile at the sign “Don’t Send Your Children to Sunday School—Take Them,” but it is more than an eye-catching slogan. In it is to be found a serious warning.

Few church members are instructed Christians. The degree of ignorance among those who bear the name of Christ is appalling. Knowing neither the content of the Christian faith, nor its implications for personal living, Christians give a blurred image of their profession to the unbelieving world because they know so little.

Only Christians instructed in the Bible and with a philosophy based in the living Christ can cope with their personal problems and face the world in which they live.

That many have had no such training in childhood makes the need all the more pressing. That no one ever attains a full knowledge of the Word makes its study a continuing imperative.

No matter how faithful Christians may be in attending regular worship services, they will always need the instruction and stimulation found in regular Bible study, and one of the most profitable sources for such study should be in the adult Bible classes of the Church School.

Having had experience in this field, I can say unequivocally that the topics assigned for the International Sunday School Lessons have for years afforded a wide and comprehensive area of Bible study. Anyone following these lessons faithfully has of necessity acquired a great storehouse of knowledge and inspiration.

The crucial problem is not so much one of the lesson topics as their development from the Bible itself. A teacher with some theological or social hobby can often use any portion of Scripture as a springboard to depart from and never in his teaching get at the true meat of the Word.

On the other hand, the Bible is so rich in spiritual and practical truth that any particular lesson can be a source of enrichment for the soul.

The adult Bible class should be a place where the Bible itself is studied. It can be made a wonderfully stimulating and rewarding hour to all who attend. Whether the regular course of lessons is followed (why not?) or some topic of the book in the Bible made a subject of study, it can be made so interesting that people not only continue to attend but bring others with them.

Again we repeat—the Bible is such an inexhaustible source of truth that any deviation to other sources of materials, other than supporting ones, is unworthy of a properly trained teacher.

Any method of Bible teaching worthy of the name must impart truth, stimulate interest, and result in practical application. The downgrading of the “lecture method” stems in part from disapproval of the oracular approach, and many adult Bible classes have been smothered by orators rather than teachers.

The increasing popularity of the “discussion method” has yet to be proved best in the long haul. Lively interest and the exchange of opinions and ideas is justified only as it leads to the Bible as the final source and authority. Discussion groups have only too often degenerated into heated exchanges of personal opinions with resulting spiritual poverty for everyone involved.

The fruitful method is any system of instruction whereby members of a group are led to study the Scriptures for themselves. A Spirit-filled teacher will be used of God when knowledge of and faith in the Word is imparted to others who themselves go on to search out its riches and apply the truth to their own lives.

One method, found effective, is to take the portion of Scripture to be studied and look at it in the light of its total context and then break it down into its theological, historical, and essential relevance for our own day.

Let it be emphatically said that no one is prepared to teach a Bible class who has not first saturated himself (or herself) with the Scripture and then bathed the entire endeavor in prayer.

Some teachers find it effective to outline the lesson and its basic truths on a blackboard.

Others prepare a set of leading questions which they ask and thereby secure group participation. This can be most effective, and it requires a foundation knowledge of the subject plus the ability to bring discussions to a fruitful and appropriate end.

Adult Bible classes of any given church should be increasingly emphasized in the total program of the Church. Mere attendance at a leadership training course does not necessarily make an effective teacher. Some of the best Bible teachers have never had the privilege of such courses. Others who have had extended instruction are not personally prepared to teach. It is always vital to remember that successful Bible teaching is primarily a matter of submitting to the leading and help of the Holy Spirit and secondarily one of correct methods.

The pastor and church officers need to make inadequate programs of adult Bible teaching a matter of major concern. If responsible leaders cannot realize the importance of such teaching, they must first face up to this need, then promote it vigorously within the bounds of the congregation.

The development of such a program may take time, but it is tremendously rewarding. Church members become instructed Christians, and these in turn become concerned and active churchmen.

Once a particular church finds itself thoroughly infiltrated with men and women who know and love the Bible, many of the other problems are automatically resolved: world missions, stewardship, evangelism, and social consciousness all assume their rightful place in the perspective of the individual Christian and the church of which he is a part.

The adult Bible class can become the center of the prayer life as well as the active ministry of a church.

Realizing its vital importance, one pastor of a large city church, Dr. Charles L. King of First Presbyterian Church, Houston, Texas, conducts a Bible class each Tuesday morning at six, and it is well attended by business and professional men.

At the heart of the emphasis on adult Bible instruction is the basic truth that God has spoken, and we are well advised to find out what he has said.

Happy is the church where men and women are instructed week after week in the depths and riches of the Written Word of God. And happy are they who receive such teaching and in simple faith go out under the power and blessing of the Holy Spirit to obey it and bear fruit for Christ.

L. NELSON BELL

THE QUIET MEN

My life is moulded by magazine ads. I rarely miss one. They shape my buying habits: I would hesitate to purchase a camera, because I am sure the ads next month will add electronic focussing to the parallax-corrected coupled rangefinder, automatic aperture control, and the other marvelous attributes that make such exciting reading. An ocean trip is out of the question. It would be too disillusioning to one accustomed to the ultimate luxury of the steamship ads.

The ads that I select for framing, however, are always philosophical in character. Just now I am under the influence of “The Quiet Men.” The two-page spread shows a lonely scholar deep in contemplation. According to the poetic essay across the page, he is making an unrelenting assault on a frontier of scientific knowledge. His vocabulary does not include the word “impossible.” He is a quiet man. Since this glimpse is afforded by an aviation company, presumably he is grappling with the kind of pure research that will “extend man’s dominion to the moon.”

He wears the traditional habit of the modern scholar: button-down collar, tweed jacket, knit tie. His bowed head has a Princeton tonsure. His austere cell is lined with neat boxes of learned journals.

I have had my hair cut, my jacket cleaned, and organized my ad clippings in shoe boxes. I find myself more and more given to a chin-in-hand posture. It discourages conversation. If my column becomes shorter, it is because I am becoming a Quiet Man.

Even Pastor Peterson noticed my reflective behavior. He wanted to know what I was dreaming about. I explained that creative thought at the growing edge of knowledge is lonely work and not readily communicated. He heartily approved of my example. If enough Christian leaders began to practice reflection, he said, our age might learn to give the kingdom of heaven priority over the dominion of space. He suggested I begin my reflection with Scripture and end it with prayer, the constant practice of the great Quiet Man of the Church of Christ.

EUTYCHUS

CAPITAL PUNISHMENT

I am especially grateful that CHRISTIANITY TODAY gave me an opportunity to be heard on the capital punishment issue. The effect of this article has gone far beyond my expectation. Much comment has been adverse, but many letters have expressed lavish praise in presenting the theology on the subject. Colleges and other groups have used the article for discussion.… In Rockford, Illinois, I debated the issue with a prominent lawyer.… The interest in the meeting was phenomenal.

JACOB J. VELLENGA

Springfield, Illinois

• Space limitations preclude excerpts from the voluminous additional correspondence on the capital punishment issue following the appearance of “Capital Punishment and the Bible” (Feb. 1 issue).

—ED.

CONCERNING EXECUTIVES

The author identification in “Concerning Executives of the Church” (Feb. 1 issue) contains an error. I have never been president of the United Lutheran Synod of New York and New England, but was president of the Synod’s Western Conference from 1944 until 1947.

HOWARD A. KUHNLE

Redeemer Lutheran Church

Binghamton, New York

CHRIST IN LAS VEGAS

In … “Christ in Las Vegas” (Jan. 18 issue), we noted no reference to the two Lutheran congregations of the Missouri Synod [which] had conducted services there before 1940.

W. B. STREUFERT

St. John Lutheran Church

Mt. Prospect, Ill.

YOUNG LIFE

Regarding the editorial in Jan. 4 issue of CHRISTIANITY TODAY … “Young Life Recruiting Provokes Connecticut Clergy,” my experience with Young Life would certainly back up the findings of the clergy in Connecticut. The Young Life movement usually becomes a social clique, wherein basic theological convictions, which are so important in teen-age and adult life are minimized, and wherein the importance of the Church as a saving community is all but lost. No doubt Mr. Rayburn had a good motive in mind when he started the Young Life movement, but in essence the Young Life movement generally introduces the teenager to an artificial and doctrinally unsound ethic, rather than to the Christian Gospel. It is not so much as your editorial implies, a matter of “ecclesiology” as it is a real concern on the part of the Christian clergy that the Young Life movement is becoming a false front church for the teen-age social clique.

PETER N. A. BARKER

St. John’s Episcopal Church

Stockton, Calif.

Thank you for the comments … about Young Life.… You might be interested in knowing that here in St. Paul we are having a similar situation. I am a Lutheran pastor and two of my daughters are very active in Young Life. I have been amazed to see the zeal and enthusiasm which that organization arouses in young people and to see also the high type of people which it recruits in our high schools. I certainly think it is a wonderful thing, but the whole movement is subjected to a lot of criticism in our area and I am sad to say that the most severe criticism is from the pastor and the members of one of the very liberal churches in our community. I have gotten the impression that there will be a showdown within the next few weeks and there is going to be a public meeting and there will be people there to denounce the fine Christian organization and from what I gather they seem to imply that the whole thing is backed up by the Communists. It is strange that an organization which proclaims redemption thorugh Christ Jesus should be termed a Communist organization.

GERALD GIVING

Augsburg Publishing House

Minneapolis, Minn.

TRENDS IN METHODISM

On retiring after 41 years in the tropics I wanted to rejoin The Methodist Church. I heard a bishop and a number of ministers preach. Each one made me hesitate about joining and left the impression that Methodism is not what it was 50 years ago. Slowly I reached the conclusion that it is off the beam and has lost its former power. In CHRISTIANITY TODAY (Jan. 4 issue) R. P. Marshall explains what is wrong: Methodism has turned to schemes of world betterment and social uplift as a substitute for the declining evangelistic urge.

B. SKOU

Santa Barbara, Calif.

I am much concerned regarding the article by R. P. Marshall.… When he gives the impression that Wesley and his followers have not engaged in controversy or defended their faith, he surely does not know Mr. Wesley met the onslaughts of Calvinism in his day telling them “that their God was worse than the Devil!” When he gives the impression that Mr. Wesley was a ritualist and that this has characterized the Methodist Church throughout its history, this is simply not true. To my mind this is one of the greatest dangers of the Methodist Church and may be one of the factors which may divide it.

It is my belief that the group which advocates this are largely theological liberals and constitute the group which puts little or no stress on evangelism.

LEE RALPH PHIPPS

Townville, Pa.

In our generation, we have witnessed the propagation of a complete change in doctrinal emphasis under the banner of what has been popularly called the “worship movement.” … Very few have perceived that the movement for a richer worship has carried with it new ideas of God, or prayer, and of salvation.

The practice of praying with the back to the audience facing the worship center or “altar,” as many insist it should be called, has become a widespread practice in the churches. The ritual of the Holy Communion of some of the denominations practically requires it if the table is placed against the reredos.… For the major part of Protestantism it was an innovation in the name of aesthetics. But theology is involved here.… The Protestant Reformation stoutly fought against directed genuflexions. We believe that God is a Spirit. His dwelling place is in the hearts of his people. If the minister believes this and really wants the geographical direction of his praying to be in accord with truth, he will pray facing the people. The Roman Catholic tradition does assert that the divine presence is on the altar in the consecrated wafer. In keeping with that doctrine, they bow toward the altar. We cannot accept the doctrine of transubstantiation in the name of aesthetics. Why then should we proclaim it in our worship practices?

Would it not be well for us all to get down our prayer books and read again the Thirty-nine Articles of Religion. The one that is especially pertinent is the 28th. We are perilously near to plain violation of its concluding sentence, “The Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper was not by Christ’s ordinance reserved, carried about, lifted up, or worshipped.” The Methodists have this in their 25 articles as number 18. All honor to some of our denominations that, while accepting the worship center, they have insisted that there be some room behind the communion table, and that when the holy supper is observed the table is brought down to the level of the people where it belongs. Is our worship a priestly ministration or a fellowship of faith?

There has been widespread and earnest concern about the dearth and decline of private prayer.… It is in large part the fruitage of our public worship practices.

PAUL BARTON

The Methodist Church

Zeigler, Ill.

SKIT: ASSEMBLY LINE

“If workers will not come to the church, the church must seek them out where they are. Clergy … (should) not try for church attendance or conversions, but merely show that the church is involved in what men and women do in their working hours.”—Article in a current religious magazine.

SCENE: A Factory, Any Place

Clergyman: Hello, are you Bill Smith?

Bill: Watch out for that swinging arm.… What you trying to do, get me fired?

C: Oh, I beg your pardon, I didn’t mean …

B: Can’t hear a hairy old thing until I shut this cotton-pickin’ motor off.

C: Oh, don’t stop, I hate to bother a …

B: Now, buddy, what’s it all about? Oh, uh, pardon me, Father.

C: Quite all right, Bill. You see my name’s Fred Wilkins, and I’m pastor of the Good Shepherd Church on Eucalyptus Drive.

B: Glad to meetcha. My little girl goes there once in awhile. What’s on your mind, Reverend? She paid her pledge?

C: Oh, you mean—what’s her name?

B: Sandra.

C: Fine girl. Yes, I’m sure it is. I mean, she did. Oh, yes.

B: Well, what can I do for you? Use Copenhagen?

C: No, thanks. I just wanted to meet you. I—I wanted you to know that we as a church are concerned about you.

B: Concerned about me? I get it. The old woman’s been cryin’ about my boozin’, that it? So you tell me I’m goin’ to Hell.

C: Oh, no, no, no, no. Not that at all. You see, we want you to know that the church is behind you.

B: Whaddya mean, behind me? Behind my boozin’?

C: No, what I mean is, Bill.…

B: Say, what is this anyhow?

C: Well, the church is involved in your work, so to speak.

B: My work! You mean you’re gettin’ a cut out of this lousy outfit?

C: (beginning to sweat) Mr. Smith, we feel that since you don’t come to the church, we ought to bring the church to you.

B: Why in blazes should I go to church? I got my own religion, right here. (Taps himself).

C: Well, we’re not really trying to get you to go to church, to tell you the truth.

B: Then what are you trying to do?

C: Well, we feel wherever you are, that’s where the church is.

B: That’s just what I got through tellin’ you.

C: But—

B: Oh, now I get it. You’re one of them independent operators. You got a Bible and you want to save my soul.

C: Oh, no, no, no, no, no. You see—

B: I know I’m not what I ought to be, by a long shot.

C: You certainly are an expert with that machine. Mean you’d like to do a better job, is that it?

B: Listen, parson, any fool can run this machine. I’m talkin’ about me. My life ain’t right and I know it. Neither is the missus!

C: Oh?

B: Tell me, do you ever have any of them church suppers up there?

C: Yes, as a matter of fact, we do. Of course the next one is our annual meeting and that wouldn’t interest you. But what I wanted to say is that the church is really vitally concerned about your work here, and your relationships with your fellow workers, with the union steward, and the foreman, and management generally; and that as a representative of the church I am eager to bring its redemptive insights to bear.…

B: Yeah, I guess so. Listen, buddy, that foreman’s got his watch on me right now, and I’m startin’ this motor. Sorry. See you at the ball park sometime. So long—watch out for that swingin’ arm!

SHERWOOD ELIOT WIRT

Minneapolis, Minn.

The Book of Ruth, universally honored as “one of the most charming short stories in Hebrew literature,” and standing in contrast to the stories of war and military violence in Judges and Samuel, relates the everyday life and trying adventures of a family in Israel about the end of the era of the Judges (1:1).

THE NARRATIVE

The family of Elimelech from Bethlehem in Judah was afflicted by famine and migrated to Moab. Here Elimelech died and Mahlon and Chilion took for themselves Moabite wives, contrary to the law (Deut. 7:3 f.) because the Moabites were idolators and not allowed to enter the assembly of the Lord (Deut. 23:3). During the 10 years of their sojourn the two sons also died. After learning that God had visited his people, Naomi decided to leave Moab and its graves and return to Canaan. Placed before decision, Orpah gave ear to the whisperings of her natural heart and returned “to her people and to her gods,” but Ruth “clung” to her mother-in-law and testified in poetic language that she had embraced the people of God of Naomi (1:16, 17).

The arrival of Naomi and Ruth in Bethlehem caused commotion, for the painful experiences of the preceding 10 years had so changed Naomi that she was hardly recognizable (1:19–22). To provide for their daily sustenance, Ruth offered to glean among the ears of grain in accordance with the law (Lev. 19:9 f.). Here she met the man who was destined to play an important role in the rehabilitation of the afflicted family (2:1–22). Boaz, a “kinsman” (Heb. modac, acquaintance) of the family of Elimelech, master of considerable possessions, told Ruth, after she had ventured to the threshing floor one night, that he would do everything she desired. He said this also because his fellow townsmen knew that she was a “virtuous woman.” There was, however, a kinsman nearer to her than himself, and in chapter four we read the interesting deliberation at the city gate between Boaz and this kinsman.

In the lawsuit that proceeded, the duty of a redeemer and the levirate was linked in an unusual manner. The kinsman concerned was willing to take upon himself the responsibility of caring for the impoverished family (4:4). But when Boaz pointed out the exceptional character of this case, namely, that the land was encumbered by a form of levirate: the one who bought the land was bound to “buy” Ruth also “in order to restore the name of the dead to his inheritance” (4:5), the kinsman found the servitude too great. Hence, Boaz assumed the responsibilities connected with the redemption. The land became his property (4:9), and Ruth instead of Naomi became his wife (4:10). Ruth bore a son who was called Obed, that is, “servant,” one who would care for Naomi in her old age (4:15). In God’s plan, however, he was destined to be the grandfather of David and thus the forefather of Christ (cf. Matt. 1:5).

The position of this book in criticism today is connected with the three main problems regarding its integrity, date, and purpose.

INTEGRITY

The book concludes with a genealogy of 10 names in which we see the connection between Peres, the forefather of the royal tribe of Judah (cf. Gen. 49:8, 10), and David in whom the ideal of the true theocratic kingship was to be embodied. This conclusion (4:18–22) is generally considered by critical scholars to be a late addition based upon the postexilic genealogy in 1 Chronicles 2:4–15. Pfeiffer, for example, is convinced that the Hebrew word for “begat” (holid) is that used in the genealogies of the Priestly Code but not in the earlier writings. This argument, however, can be maintained only when the critic’s theory of the elements of the so-called Priestly Code is dogmatically confirmed. In the writer’s opinion this whole construction must be regarded as arbitrary. For instance, the same word for “begat” is found in Genesis 11:27. Verses 28–30 are alloted to the Jahvist, but verse 27, because it contains an element of genealogy, is attributed to the Priestly Code!

The problem of the integrity of the book becomes more serious when a distinguished authority like Eissfeldt maintains that verse 17 also must be regarded as a later addition. According to him there is no connection between “A son has been born to Naomi” and the name “Obed.” He presumes that the Boaz of our book originally had nothing to do with the Boaz mentioned in the genealogy of David (1 Chron. 2:4–15), and that the similarity of the names later led to the identification of the two persons. The connection between the history of Ruth and David is thus based on error.

The implication of this interpretation is clear: it not only affects the integrity of the book but also the historicity of the narrative and authority of the Bible. Eissfeldt’s interpretation cannot be supported substantially either. The enmity between Israel and Moab (cf. Deut. 23:3 and Neh. 13:1) makes it unlikely that an Israelitic writer would casually connect the genealogy of David with that of a Moabite woman. The present proposition would actually disqualify the book for inclusion in the canon were there no justification for the reference to David in this genealogy.

DATE

The author of the Book of Ruth is unknown but could obviously not have been Samuel (contra Baba Bathra 14b). On the assumption that the narrative is based on historical facts and the genealogy at the end is authentic, evangelical scholars are inclined to date the book in the time before the splendor of David’s reign had diminished. Confirmation of this is hard to find. The expression in 1:1 that the story took place in “the days when the Judges ruled,” indicates that the era of the Judges already belonged to the past. The way in which the author writes about David in 4:17, and the genealogy of 4:18–22, shows also that he definitely bore knowledge of the splendor of David’s reign. This consideration, as well as the complete absence of any reference to Solomon or his successors, pleads in favor of the terminus ad quem, in the latter time of David or immediately after (cf. Raven, Old Testament Introduction, p. 292; Aalders, (Oud-Testamentische Kanoniek, p. 336; Young, An Introduction to the Old Testament, p. 330).

Critical scholars, however, are generally agreed in dating the book after the exile. These are their assumptions:

Ruth 1:1 suggests that the author was familiar with the Deuteronomic edition of the Book of Judges. This is an assumption, based upon an arbitrary hypothesis, namely, that the Book of Deuteronomy originated in the days of Josiah, and its character and spirit was substantiated in the recasting of Judges.

Furthermore they say that the most significant evidence of the postexilic origin of the book is to be found in 4:7 where a custom, current at the time Deuteronomy 25:5–10 was written, had become so obsolete that it had to be elucidated. Now it is to be noted that there is quite a difference in purpose between the two instances. In Deuteronomy 25 the symbolic action of taking off a shoe serves as humiliation of those who refuse to accept the responsibility of the levirate. In 4:7 there is no word of humiliation and no reference to the levirate, but here it concerns the renunciation of one’s claims. Secondly, this consideration is only of importance to scholars who date the Book of Deuteronomy in the seventh century before Christ. Here again, one hypothesis is based upon another.

Rowley (The Growth of the Old Testament, p. 150) argues that the language and style of the text have some late features. Evidence for this is meagre. Rowley himself attests to the early models on which the language and style are based. According to Pfeiffer (Introduction, p. 718), the general character of the Hebrew vocabulary and syntax, the use of ancient idiomatic expressions current in the best prose of the Old Testament, and the classical purity of style could be adduced in favor of an early date. Young believes that there are only two words to which appeal may be made as supporting a later date, namely, lahen (therefore) 1:13, and mara’ (bitter) 1:20. In agreement with most scholars he maintains that these two words are insufficient to prove a late date (op. cit., p. 330).

We need not conclude either that Ruth’s position in the canon, among the Hagiographa rather than the Prophets, was due to the fact that the Prophets were already canonized at the time of our book’s origin. We know little of the process of canonization and of the particular motives which influenced the grouping of the books. But the idea that Ruth was included in the Hagiographa because of late origin cannot be proved.

PURPOSE AND SIGNIFICANCE

Dates and origins, however interesting as problems, are of minor importance to understanding a book.

In stipulating its purpose, we must distinguish between the author’s intention in the first instance and its being part of the canon.

We agree with scholars who say that the book’s primary aim was to relate the early family history of David. We maintain this point of view despite L. P. Smith’s remark that the author’s purpose was universal, not national, because the point stressed is Ruth’s foreignness.

It was no small matter to link the ancestry of David with a Moabitess, and the question of how this happened arises. First, Ruth completely identified herself with the God and people of Israel, and was accepted not only by Naomi but also the women of Bethlehem and the official representatives of Israel as a “daughter of Abraham.” Secondly, David’s ancestors were pious and exemplary. The former consideration was determinate. In spite of Ruth’s foreignness, she had entered into the assembly of the Lord, and therefore her inclusion in the genealogy of the famous king David was not at variance with the stipulation in Deuteronomy 23:3 and the later application according to Nehemiah 13:1!

We uphold this view against other opinions concerning the purpose of the book. According to some the Book of Ruth is fiction rather than history. I, however, agree with L. P. Smith that few, if any, stories of the ancient world were put into writing except out of a motive more powerful than entertainment. Israel attached great importance to genealogies. Israel was the people of God, and Palestine the land of promise. The generations of Israel and their inheritance were thus in service of God and the coming of his kingdom. In a special sense it was so in the generation of the great king of Israel.

Many scholars, ascribing the book to the period of Ezra and Nehemiah, interpret it as a political tract, a protest against opposition to mixed marriages by argument that David had Moabite blood in his veins. “Here we find an attractive piece of ‘propaganda’ against the assumption that one’s position within Israel was dependent solely upon purity of blood or correctness of genealogy” (B. W. Anderson, Understanding the Old Testament, p. 452).

We must say that the Book of Ruth nowhere protests; it simply narrates. It is not a piece of “propaganda” but is an “explanation.”

Its purpose, as Oettli rightly observes, is to illumine the genealogy of David, and this alone explains the book. The primary aim was not to enlighten us to the universal meaning of Israel’s religion and calling. That factor is certainly present but can be understood only in the light of the whole revelation and testimony of the Bible.

Boaz the Hebrew and Ruth the Moabitess in union become the highway for God towards the ultimate realization of divine purposes. The living theme which God wants to write through the Book of Ruth on the history of his Church and upon the life of every Christian is that in everything God works for good with those who love him and are called according to his purpose (Rom. 8:28). This book also teaches us what true godliness means in the employer and employee relationship (2:4). Above all, it opens the perspective of the history of Christmas and the event of Pentecost. The genealogy with which the book ends culminates in the theocratic king David to whose generation the promise of the advent of the Messiah was linked. The striking description of the love of Boaz, who raised Ruth from her humiliation and loaded her with precious gifts, is a reference to the grace of God in Christ who lifts the unworthy sinner out of the depths of sin and enriches his life with spiritual and temporal blessings (Rom. 8:32; 2 Cor. 8:9). As through Boaz, the redeemer, the name and inheritance of Elimelech and his generation were saved, so Christ saves all who belong to him and gives them an eternal inheritance.

In addition, the Book of Ruth teaches us the universal relevance of the great “Obed,” Jesus Christ, who is the Saviour not only of Israel but of the human race. This perspective was opened the moment Ruth made her decision to embrace the people of God and Naomi. The inclusion of a “heathen” in the assembly of the Lord was a preludium to Pentecost, and in Ruth’s touching words we have a pentecostal confession of a union with God and his people, with the Lord and his Church.

HELPS FOR STUDY

Books recommended for study can be arranged in three categories. The first consists of commentaries. Helpful works are those of Keil (Biblical Commentary, ed. Keil and Delitzsch), L. P. Smith and J. T. Cleland (The Interpreter’s Bible; rather critical), and A. Macdonald (The New Bible Commentary; especially valuable for conservative students).

The second category of books deals with separate aspects and problems of the book. The marriage of Boaz and Ruth, for instance, is the theme of different essays by Burrows (in JBL, 59, 1940, pp. 445–454) and Rowley (The Servant of the Lord and other Essays, 1952, pp. 161–186). With regard to the problem of the redemption and levirate, essays written by Lacheman (“Note on Ruth 4:7–8” in JBL, 56, 1937, pp. 53–56) and Vriezen (“Two Old Cruces,” in OTS, 5, 1948, pp. 80–91) are helpful.

For devotional purposes there is the excellent chapter on Ruth by the late G. Campbell Morgan in Living Messages.

P. A. VERHOEF

Professor of Old Testament

Dutch Reformed Theological Seminary

Stellenbosch, South Africa

The original purpose of Vacation Bible Schools was “to use ‘idle students’ and ‘idle churches’ to teach ‘idle children’ the Word of God.” Now after little more than half a century, Christian leaders have recognized the Vacation Bible School, or Vacation Church School, as one of the most important resources of Christian education in the development of youth. Although churches and church leaders were slow to see its values at first, it is accepted today as an integral part of the program of Christian education. A conservative estimate is that more than 7 million pupils and workers are enrolled in the schools each summer. These millions testify with enthusiasm that the values of Vacation Bible Schools far outweigh the work and expense which they require.

LEADERSHIP FOR THE SCHOOLS

One of the factors that has sparked the unusual success of the Vacation Bible movement has been the work of dedicated leaders. Nearly a million workers make up the mighty army serving as “missionaries to childlife” each summer. Many of them are highly trained, and some receive remuneration for their work. Yet, the great majority are volunteer workers giving of their time because they love the Lord and love children.

Their training, however, has been one of the real problems. Progress is being made in that pastors, ministers of education, and principals or directors of Church Schools now make their plans and preparation earlier in order to allow time for adequate training. Through state, associational, and church clinics or workshops the workers achieve skills with specific age groups. Those who take this training seriously have shown remarkable progress in the quality of their work and the results achieved.

CURRICULUM IN THE SCHOOLS

A second factor in the rapid growth of Vacation Bible School work is the curriculum materials that are provided. Placed in the hands of dedicated workers, these materials can make Bible stories come to life for boys and girls.

At first the curriculum was very limited. Teaching was confined to story telling with major emphasis on regimentation and routine. Gradually program and methods became varied and planned according to the needs of different age groups. Many features of the earlier schools were retained, such as the opening or closing worship session with its certain amount of ritual, Bible study, recreation or recess period, character study, creative activity, and special events. Today the emphasis has shifted from content and routine to boy and girl participation in guided activities.

Some denominations are now publishing their own materials and arranging them on suggested schedules. Other groups have joined in cooperative publication efforts. Demands for these curriculum materials are rising as more churches include Vacation Bible Schools in their budgets and calendars of events.

The individual church usually assumes responsibility for the choice of materials to be used in the Vacation Bible School. Selection is made according to the needs of the boys and girls, the purposes of the church sponsoring the school, the abilities of the workers, and other courses of Christian teaching offered by the church. Nearly all churches having schools plan and provide at least for ages four through fourteen. Many include a three-year nursery department and provide for 15- and 16-year-old pupils. An increasing number of schools also minister to small groups of young people and adults. In all these materials there is a trend toward shorter and less expensive texts, or textbooks which may be used a number of times in a given cycle.

VALUES OF THE SCHOOLS

The unusual success of Vacation Bible School work is seen in the values or blessings received by the children, the workers, churches, and communities. These blessings serve as a constant reminder that here is a program of Christian education that really works. We may enumerate some of them.

1. Establishing new churches and missions. Vacation Bible Schools bless the churches in which they are held. New churches get started, dead churches are revived, and the life of other churches are revitalized. One denominational leader said: “I consider the Vacation Bible School approach the best possible way to establish a new church.”

2. Cultivating mission interest. Vacation Bible Schools also incite interest in missions and in giving. Pupils and workers learn the importance of world missions, and through mission offerings they not only form the habit of giving but give with specific needs in mind. Thus their gifts make the Great Commission personal and alive in the church’s ministry. No doubt, many of the missionaries had the fires of missionary passion kindled in a Vacation Bible School.

3. Reaching the unreached. Reaching the unenlisted is another blessing Vacation Schools afford. In this realm they have become one of the greatest forces at our disposal. By this means entrance may be gained into the homes and hearts of the people of the community. Each year reports reveal thousands of children enrolled in the schools who are not enrolled in any Sunday School. Using the information gained from the registration cards, dedicated leaders may visit the homes to enlist parents and children in the total life of the church.

4. Enlisting and developing leaders. Vacation Bible Schools enlist and train additional leaders for churches. Some of the best church workers got their first taste of leadership in a school. The very nature of the Vacation Bible School made it possible for them to serve in some capacity. They responded to training, gained confidence, and remained available for other duties after the school was ended. By making these workers available, Vacation Bible Schools have made it possible for Sunday Schools and other organizations to grow and improve the quality of their work.

5. Bible teaching. Churches are always in need of additional time for this important task. A Vacation Bible School provides one of the finest ways we have of teaching the Bible. Since the children have no textbooks, emphasis may be placed on learning by experience and participation. With younger children this may be achieved through Bible stories, dramatizations, the use of appropriate and meaningful Bible pictures, and guided activities. For older boys and girls group discussions and more serious Bible study may be introduced with satisfying results.

Under a well-trained and dedicated faculty, the average child will learn as much about the Bible and its application to life as he would in six or more months in an average Sunday School.

6. Appreciation of good music. Vacation Bible School worship services have provided many children with their first opportunity to praise God through song. Choir directors have also learned that here is one of the most fertile fields for the discovery and development of musical talent. Many churches can attribute the raising of the quality of their music in public worship to the influence of Vacation Bible Schools.

7. Evangelism. No greater value is afforded by a Vacation Bible School than that of winning boys and girls to Christ. Day after day consecrated workers have opportunity to guide the older children toward considering this most important decision. In many of the schools a brief evangelistic service for those nine years of age and above is planned for the last day. No pressure is put upon the children, but after the claims of Christ are presented they are given opportunity publicly to declare their acceptance of Christ as Saviour.

Results of evangelism in Vacation Bible Schools are manifest particularly in the months that follow. Registration cards reveal not only those in the schools who are non-Christians but also valuable information about parents and other members of the families, some of whom are church members and need to be reclaimed.

In a large Vacation Bible School clinic, one woman testified that her entire family had been won to Christ by a well-timed visit following Vacation Bible School sessions in her community. With a display of quiet emotion she related how her home had been completely changed. Now three years later she was attending the clinic preparing to become the principal of the school in her church.

No one can know what the future holds for Vacation Bible School work, but every sign indicates that the future is bright. What if a 10-day school could be held in every church? And what if it could be done this summer?

Preacher In The Red

EDITORIAL PUNSTER

DURING MY STUDENT DAYS I had the privilege of serving a small Welsh church in the county of Denbigh, North Wales. There were just three steps to the quaint pulpit, and unfortunately the middle step gave way, which caused me a nasty injury to my leg.

On returning to college, my fellow students asked regarding my lameness. I explained that the wood on the particular step must have rotted.

In a fortnight’s time our college magazine was published, and there on the front page was a remarkable sketch of me standing in a pulpit, and the apt(!) caption on top, reading “Dry Rot in the Pulpit.”—The Rev. R. M. ELLIS-GRUFFYDD, F.Ph:S (Eng.), Market Square Church (Congregational), Merthyr Tydfil, Glamorzan, South Wales.

Jacob J. Vellenga served on the National Board of Administration of the United Presbyterian Church from 1948–54. Since 1958 he has served the United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. as Associate Executive. He holds the A.B. degree from Monmouth College, the B.D. from Pittsburgh-Xenia Seminary, Th.D. from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and D.D. from Monmouth College, Illinois.

Some 40 million children, youth, and adults are receiving instruction in the Christian religion in Sunday Schools of America. What they are taught will largely determine what the Church of tomorrow will believe and be, and also the nature of its moral and social impact on American society.

What are these millions of pupils being taught? And who is determining the what?

TWO TYPES OF LESSONS

In general, we have two types of curriculum materials in the Sunday School: Uniform and Graded Lessons.

Uniform Lessons are designed to provide every age group with lessons based on the same passage of Scripture on any given Sunday. These lessons have been set up in six year cycles, and though designed to provide for “the fruitful study of the Bible as a whole,” have also been arranged to give “larger place to those portions of the Scriptures which afford greatest teaching and learning values.” In each year’s lessons opportunity is given for the “consideration of some aspect of the life or teaching of Jesus and some challenge to the Christian way of life.” It is amazing how little of the total content of the Bible is studied during the entire course of two or three cycles; also which doctrinal passages are dealt with, and which are omitted.

Graded Lessons are designed to provide Sunday School pupils with lesson materials more suited to their particular age group than Uniform Lessons.

There are differences between Graded Lessons.

One example of solid Bible study, provided in a Graded Lesson Series produced by the Methodist Church, may be found in Unit III of the Adult Bible Course for April–June, 1959, on “The Book of Romans.” The treatment of Romans is not altogether satisfactory. It leans heavily on liberal commentaries, and too easily espouses the views of critical scholarship. But it is a Bible-centered series of lessons.

An example of denominationally-produced Graded Lessons, prepared independently of the Graded Lessons Committee of the National Council of Churches, and having no Christian spiritual content whatsoever, is a book for three-year-olds titled “The Little Seeds that Grew.” It is one of the so-called Westminster First Books for Nursery and forms a part of the Presbyterians’ “Christian Faith and Life Curriculum.” Some of the other parts of this curriculum are among the finest Christian Education materials available anywhere. But this particular book, though widely used by other denominations, could be used equally well in any public school, or in any private nursery school enrolling Unitarians, Jews, and Moslems!

At present the Commission on General Christian Education of the National Council of Churches directs and controls the production of most curriculum materials now used in American Sunday Schools.

In 1955 the NCC issued “a guide for curriculum in Christian education” in which the following details as to the composition of the Uniform Lesson Committee and the Graded Lessons Committee appear: “The Committee on the Uniform Series is made up of persons appointed by their respective denominations which, although differing in certain elements of faith and polity, hold a common faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, as Lord and Saviour, whose saving gospel is to be taught to all mankind. There are approximately 70 members of the Committee, representing 30 denominations in the United States and Canada … the committee works under the direction of a chairman elected triennially by the Commission on General Christian Education of the National Council and an executive secretary who is the director of the Department of Curriculum Development of the Commission on General Christian Education.

“The Committee on the Graded Series is composed of approximately 100 persons appointed by the denominations intending to use outlines produced by the Committee. The number of representatives which a denomination may have is determined by the needs of the denomination and its willingness to send persons to the meetings of the committee to work on outlines. The number of denominations participating in the work of the committee varies from time to time, but usually is more than 20. The officers of the committee include a chairman … elected triennially by the Commission on General Christian Education and an executive secretary who is the director of the Department of Curricular Development of the Commission on General Christian Education of the National Council.”

THEOLOGICAL PRINCIPLES

Several documents are available which disclose the theological principles that NCC materials are currently supposed to embody. Among these is a staff article published in the International Journal of Religious Education in February 1955. The Journal is the official publication of the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches. On the subject of ‘the Word of God” the above-mentioned article states:

“Where does the Christian go for authority? Does he simply consult his own experience to discover his relation with God and God’s activity in life? Does he accept the dogmatic interpretations of an infallible Pope? Or does he find authority in an infallible Scripture? In wrestling with this question, theologians have rediscovered the Protestant concept of the ‘Word of God.’ God’s Word is neither an infallible book or Pope, nor individual experience. It is God’s action in human life, revealed partially in all human experience and fully in Jesus Christ. The Bible has authority insofar as through it God’s living Word is spoken to men. The Church has authority only as it speaks God’s Word.… According to this view, the Bible is a book which historical criticism must analyze. It witnesses to the fact that ‘God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself.’ The Christian is not bound to particular words as God’s Word. The Bible is not simply history, but the record of God’s mighty action in history.… God speaks his living Word through the Bible and in the Church … the authority of the Bible and the Church rests in neither words nor creeds, but in their witness to the mighty act of God in Christ.” Other examples could be cited.

What is perhaps the most revealing, most frequently quoted and widely used statement of NCC’s theological principles and objectives appeared in The International Curriculum Guide, Book One issued by the International Council of Religious Education in 1932. These statements were based on the work and recommendations of Dr. Paul Vieth, and though adopted by the International Council of Religious Education, they have never been changed or repudiated by its successor, the Commission on General Christian Education:

1. Christian Religious Education seeks to foster in growing persons a consciousness of God as a reality in human experience, and a sense of personal relationship to him.

2. Christian Religious Education seeks to develop in growing persons such an understanding and appreciation of the personality, life, and teaching of Jesus as will lead to experience of Him as Saviour and Lord, loyalty to Him and to his cause, and manifest itself in daily life and conduct.

3. Christian Religious Education seeks to foster in growing persons a progressive and continuous development of Christ-like character.

4. Christian Religious Education seeks to develop in growing persons the ability and disposition to participate in and contribute constructively to the building of a social order throughout the world, embodying the ideal of the Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood of Man.

5. Christian Religious Education seeks to develop in growing persons the ability and disposition to participate in the organized society of Christians—the Church.

6. Christian Religious Education seeks to lead growing persons into a Christian interpretation of life and the universe; the ability to see God’s purpose and plan; a life philosophy built on this interpretation.

7. Christian Religious Education seeks to effect in growing persons the assimilation of the best religious experience of the race, pre-eminently that recorded in the Bible, as effective guidance to present experience.

SOCIAL OBJECTIVES

Though objective No. 4 clearly states that it is an avowed purpose of Christian Religious Education “to develop in growing persons the ability and disposition to participate in and contribute constructively to the building of a social order throughout the world, embodying the ideal of the Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood of Man,” and though intimations of this philosophy may clearly be seen in most of the materials which the NCC is presently sponsoring, the full implications of this objective are not always apparent. In the Church and Home Series of the Evangelical and Reformed Church, however, one may find excellent examples of the ends to which this objective leads. Among numerous examples are two courses of study designed for Junior and Senior High pupils for the months of April to June 1959, titled “Bridges to Brotherhood,” by Julia Wilke, and “Sore Spots in Society,” by Dorothy W. Kinney and Charles B. Kinney, Jr.

Two lessons in the series “Sore Spots in Society” are of special interest. They urge the winning of recruits for the extension of “economic democracy,” endorse the strike as a “necessary economic force,” and also commend the labor movement, especially the International Ladies Garment Workers Union. They present with full approval “A Personal Economic Platform for a Christian,” as set forth by the “United Christian Youth Movement,” and endorse certain social and economic pronouncements of the NCC in 1954.

CURRICULUM BUILDERS

The theological views of NCC leaders in the field of Christian education are a matter of serious concern. Who are the curriculum builders and lesson writers employed by the NCC or its affiliated denominations? What theological beliefs have they expressed? Not all of these persons are well known. Many have published very little besides Sunday School materials. One who has written a great deal, however, and is held in high esteem by her colleagues is Dr. Mary Alice Jones. Miss Jones is Director of the Department of Christian Education of Children, Methodist Board of Education. She has been a member of the Committee on Graded Curriculum, and was present at its 1958 meeting.

In 1953 Dr. Jones wrote a book published by the Abingdon Press bearing the title The Faith of Our Children. On page 15 of this book she states: “The Bible is the Word of God to those who through it hear God speak to them … what we are saying is that the text of the Bible as we hold it in our hands may be or may not be the Word of God to men.”

Of Jesus Christ she wrote on page 60: “Let us be careful not to set Jesus off from all other revelations of God, as though he were unrelated to them … he was one in whom sonship to God had been perfected.”

Of the death of Jesus she said on page 66: “With all its goodness and beauty, the life of Jesus ended in the most ignominious death that could be inflicted upon a man in his day. He was condemned to be executed, publicly, by crucifixion. How can we interpret this fact to boys and girls? Of course, we shall not tell the little children about the crucifixion of Jesus … but after they go to school we could not keep it from them if we would; so we must be prepared to interpret it to them. The basis of our interpretation must be the fact that people suffer for being good as well as for being bad.”

Of Jesus’ resurrection she wrote on page 70: “We shall be equally unwise, however, if the story of the resurrection is emphasized to the neglect of the simpler phases of the life of Jesus.… For a life such as his could not be ended when his body was broken by sinful men. His life has expressed abiding values, deathless love, and so we may teach our children that Jesus lives today, not because of some isolated, wonder-inspiring event, but because there was in his life that quality, that spirit, which is of the very essence of eternity.”

Men who assert their belief in the inspiration of the Bible, but who deny its inerrancy, its infallibility, the accuracy and authority of the written record, and who hesitate to say of any of the words of Scripture that “these are the words of God,” are among the writers who have commended themselves to the NCC, as presently constituted, in the production of its curriculum materials. Many of the leaders of the NCC are undoubtedly saddened and disturbed over this condition. No doubt there are writers and other persons engaged in the production of NCC materials who would prefer to take a more vigorous stand for traditional Christianity, and who themselves do so. But the materials produced indicate that at this moment their influence is not very great. At present time their views are definitely not the policy of the NCC as a whole.

The methods by which the National Council exercises control over the production of Sunday School curriculum materials are both direct and indirect.

VARIED NCC CONTROLS

By the very nature of its organization, its common philosophy and ideology, and by reason of the cooperation which its boards and committees of Christian education maintain one with another, the NCC often exerts a controlling influence over the educational materials of all the denominations affiliated with it. There are large areas of agreement between all the materials produced by all the churches in the NCC, and this similarity is in part a direct result of NCC influence.

The NCC wields direct influence on the production of curriculum materials through its official organ, the International Journal of Religious Education. This is the only magazine of its kind in the field, and it forcefully projects NCC thought and policy in Christian education.

The NCC also exerts direct influence on the production of curriculum materials of a large number of Protestant churches not in the NCC orbit through numerous conferences on Christian education which it sets up and directs, and to which representatives of these other (non-NCC) denominations are invited, and whose participation in them is encouraged.

A further direct influence on curriculum materials is well known but difficult to evaluate. We refer to the highly centralized and interlocking departments of Religion and Christian Education in America’s institutions of higher learning. Through systems of accreditation, the requirements and restrictions placed on the obtaining and recognition of advanced degrees, the whole field of Christian education at a professional level is becoming more and more like a guild or union. It is from informed and trained persons moving in this sphere that curriculum materials are obtained. And here are found the so-called “scholars” and “theologians” to whom the lesser writers refer as “authorities.” The organization of these persons within academic circles is still formative, and is sometimes more implied and invisible than evident and actual, though no less effective. Everything involved in religious education is coming more and more under NCC control.

UNIFORM LESSON MONOPOLY

The NCC exerts indirect controlling influence on the production of Sunday School materials through its unique position with reference to the Uniform Lessons.

Due to the long history of the Uniform Series, it is no doubt the most widely used system of lessons among Protestants. The use of the series is extended through license agreement beyond the member denominations of the Commission on General Christian Education of the National Council to other denominational and non-denominational publishing houses and to individual writers. At least 80 denominations make use of these lessons. Several commentaries on these lessons are published each year. The outlines are used in the preparation of church calendars, radio programs and syndicated newspaper columns. Under the direction of a committee of the National Council of Churches, syndicated treatments of the Uniform Lessons are provided for both weekly and daily papers. In cooperation with the World Council of Christian Education, the outlines are made available for curriculum work in more than 50 other countries (A Guide for Curriculum in Christian Education, published by the National Council of Churches in 1955).

It is widely assumed that no one can copyright the Bible or any part of it because it is part of our common heritage. This is true of the King James Version. Other versions, such as the RSV, can be and have been copyrighted. The NCC and the International Council of Religious Education preceding it have copyrighted versions of the Bible and also copyright the Outlines of the Uniform Lessons. Through this copyright the Council exerts tremendous influence and control.

There is no charge made to member denominations for the use of the Outlines. All denominations outside the Council (numbering some 23 million American Protestants), independent publishers, and other groups who wish to use the outlines for any purpose whatsoever must obtain permission to do so from the NCC, and pay a royalty for the privilege. Reasonable as the copyright-royalty agreement may be, it provides a means by which the NCC can influence Sunday Schools using the Uniform Lessons.

Many evangelicals and fundamentalists use the Outlines. Some of them serve on the NCC Uniform Lesson committee. These good people are of the opinion that since the basis for the Uniform Lessons is the Word of God, and since every verse in the Lessons is the Word of God, the Lord will bless its use; and whatever interpretation the liberal wing of the Committee on Uniform Lessons may place on the Scripture passages selected, the truth of God will still prevail, and will be blessed by him in those churches and schools expounding the Word faithfully.

This is not the whole picture, however. Believers in the plenary, verbal inspiration of the Bible have somewhat been “taken in” a snare by their modernist colleagues. At the beginning of the nineteenth century, Andrews Norton, a Harvard professor, pointed out that “if every word is equally inspired, isolated proof texts can be assembled to support almost any preconceived system of doctrine.” Modernists, neo-orthodox, and social gospel advocates have taken him at his word, and some believers in the verbal inspiration of the Bible have fallen into the trap. To illustrate what we mean, and to show the manner in which the NCC exerts this kind of influence over the Uniform Lessons by cleverly selecting the “proper” passages of Scripture, omitting others, and arranging them in such a fashion as to imply their own doctrines and policies, reference is made to the lesson prepared by the NCC’s Uniform Lesson Committee for May 3, 1959.

Special attention is called to the last verse of the lesson: “And David reigned over all Israel; and David executed judgment and justice unto all his people.” It has been introduced into the lesson entirely out of context. The purpose of citing this verse is suggested in the title: “Wise Management.”

An examination of a number of lesson commentaries revealed interesting facts. Some evangelical lesson writers exercised their liberty and omitted this verse altogether from their discussion of the lesson. Other writers dealt with the main passage of the Scripture and expounded it faithfully, but practically none of them took occasion to discuss the significance of David as a forerunner of the Messiah, a type of Christ, or the covenant God made with him concerning Christ, and the reasons for it. Social gospel, liberal lesson writers used the passage as it was intended to be used with the result that millions of Sunday School pupils were “properly indoctrinated.”

Ignoring all the prophetical, theological, and truly spiritual aspects of the life and reign of David, the persons engaged in the construction of this lesson outline, as agents for the NCC, slanted the Scriptures, merely by a skillful selection of Bible verses, so as to make them appear to show that the secret of David’s greatness and success was his “wise management” and especially his devotion to social justice. This example of mishandling Scripture could be multiplied.

SOLUTION OF THE PROBLEM

What is the solution of the curriculum problem confronting the evangelical Protestant churches? This is a question which deserves careful consideration beyond the purview of this article. Despite the seriousness of the present situation, it is not without encouraging aspects. Discriminating Christian teachers and leaders in the local church schools can choose from a wide variety of Uniform and Graded lesson materials which are thoroughly trustworthy. There are satisfactory commentaries and quarterlies of all types and for all ages, with various methods of treatment, exhibiting different degrees of education, skill, editorial competence, and artistic attractiveness, and at a wide range of prices. One has but to recall the excellent Peloubet, Arnold, and Tarbell Commentaries and the publications of such well-known houses as Standard, Cook, Scripture Press, Gospel Light, and many others, to realize the rich possibilities.

But there should be no need for denominational disloyalty or rejection of all NCC materials in order to attain a very excellent group of lessons and lesson materials. We know of no set of materials which is entirely good. Even the worst are not entirely bad. What we should strive for is a dedicated, concerted effort to improve the materials now being offered. When the NCC and denominationally produced lesson aids are not satisfactory, they can be supplemented by sound materials. Untiring efforts should be made to encourage all who produce Sunday School lesson materials to develop a better product. No denominational board of Christian Education, or the Commission on General Christian Education of the NCC can withstand the concerted pressure of determined Sunday School teachers dedicated to this end.

SOME NEW DEVELOPMENTS

Some bold new developments in local church education give cause for optimism.

Protestant parish schools and parent-community Christian Day Schools are “mushrooming” in various parts of the country.

The Sunday Evening School is a significant development, especially among the Southern Baptists. It presents an opportunity for far more extensive and intensive Christian education than anything ever attempted in the old-line Sunday School. It invites the production of good lay religious textbooks which for the most part are now lacking for Protestant churches.

The National Sunday School Association, organized in 1946 as a protest against the curriculum policies of the International Council of Religious Education, now produces a series of outlines for Uniform Sunday School lessons entirely independent of the NCC. It seeks to “revitalize the American Sunday School” along strictly evangelical lines, and now serves more than 40 denominations and evangelical elements in many other Protestant bodies.

The church schools of America are entering upon a new era of improvement and progress. Buildings and equipment are more adequate. Teachers are better trained. Programs are more effective. Materials are closer to the needs of both the learner and the teacher.

We must firmly face the curriculum difficulties that beset us. Pastors, teachers, and others charged with the selection of lesson material hold the future of the Church in their hands. May they look beyond the imprimatur of denomination or publisher to be certain that faith in Christ is kept inviolate. This faith is the code of Christian teaching and it must be nurtured until it controls all of life.

Jacob J. Vellenga served on the National Board of Administration of the United Presbyterian Church from 1948–54. Since 1958 he has served the United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. as Associate Executive. He holds the A.B. degree from Monmouth College, the B.D. from Pittsburgh-Xenia Seminary, Th.D. from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and D.D. from Monmouth College, Illinois.

A new wave of anti-Semitism has recently shocked a large part of the world. Especially in Western Europe, attempts were made first to minimize the outbursts by explaining them away as the grotesque gests of a few mentally perverted individuals. But the extent and ferocity of the anti-Semitic acts and the intense feelings they aroused soon demonstrated that a serious situation had been provoked.

Ever since the infamous pogroms of Nazi Germany the phenomenon of anti-Semitism has been a matter of profound concern. The shocking events of recent decades in Germany took hard hold on our memories. Books documenting the terrors of Nazi anti-Semitic policies still appear and continue to attract serious study. Reflecting on that dreadful history, one remembers what was done in the name of culture to fellow human beings. One remembers the easy shamelessness with which people could converse about the anti-Jewish program at the time it was being carried out. Hitler had said in his Mein Kampf that he could spot the Jews behind all the darkness in the world, and then he declared that he would rid Germany once and for all of its Jewish problem. But we also tried to get behind these concrete memories to analyze the deepest motives of Hitler’s anti-Semitism.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

Some writers saw a connection between anti-Semitism and natural man’s resistance to divine grace. Karl Barth declared that anti-Semitism was obviously the sin against the Holy Spirit, and argued that it was a revolt against the divine election of Israel. Since his exegesis of the biblical texts in question was somewhat dubious, Barth’s statement itself aroused considerable discussions. Others saw in anti-Semitism an expression of racial delusion and pretension implying a denial of the image of God in all men. Indeed, anti-Semitism does bring to mind James’ statement about the tongue by which man—the image of God—is cursed. And the hatred of the Jews which we have seen in the past decades has indeed been man’s curse on thousands of fellow men, women, and children. These people were put under a curse, accused of crimes they did not commit, and forsaken by the human race.

I recall seeing Jews driven out of my parish in Amsterdam and out of all parts of the country, packed together as animal herds, and carted off toward Germany to vanish forever from our sight. We saw suffering that we had not imagined before. I recall the words written by one person who had gone through the torture and survived: “I can no longer imagine it. If I could imagine it once more, I think I would die at that moment. I have seen the night of nights, the night of human damnation.” It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of man! As I think about anti-Semitism, I am reminded of David’s words, spoken when darkness seemed to fall on his own life: “I am in a great strait: let us fall now into the hand of the Lord; for his mercies are great; and let me not fall into the hand of man” (2 Sam. 24:14).

OUR PROGRESSIVE RESPONSIBILITY

To those who have thought deeply about anti-Semitism, the recent outbreaks are no minor matter. We insist that the present anti-Semitic demonstrations are worse than what happened in Hitler’s day, not in effect, but in tendency and implication. As history develops, there is a progressive responsibility for us. He who now, after the facts of the past are known, thinks and acts in the inhumanity of anti-Semitic patterns, demonstrates the extremity of human blindness and is guilty of a sinful denial of the humanity created in the image of God.

I am also reminded of the words spoken by one of the Nuremberg criminals. He was converted during the trial and humbly owned his guilt. He declined all sedation during the trial, insisting on staying alert to pray. As a German, he said: “Germany’s guilt shall not be paid for in a thousand years.” Now, we know that as men we are not allowed to be presumptuous in our talk about payment and forgiveness of guilt incurred against God. And we must always take care even in such instances as these to avoid pharisaical judgments, as though we could stand on high and hurl anathemas against an isolated group of war criminals. It is surely not allowable for us to assert that these criminals were not men any longer, but had become demons.

True, there was a demonic element at work in the Nazi pogroms. But the terrible thing is that human beings were at work in them. We cannot wholly separate ourselves from this group; we belong to them because they too, in all their terror, are part of our humanity. The Christian confession that all men are sinners prohibits the Pharisaism that makes absolute distinctions between men. But though we confess that the Nazis, even at their worst, were members of our race, we may hope and pray that such a damnation of human beings as they were guilty of may never be permitted again.

One of the most terrible statements made after it was all over was that the Jews deserved this judgment at the hands of men because they crucified the Christ. Such pretentious statements are totally foreign to the mystery of the Gospel. They arise from a failure to understand that precisely in and through the awful disobedience that put Jesus on the cross, the Lord of infinite mercy displayed and triumphed in his grace.

NO ARISTOCRACY OF RACE

The Gospel of grace means that there can be no aristocracy of race or people. The Dutch poet implied an answer to this perverted pious anti-Semitism when he penned the lines:

It was not the Jews, Lord Jesus, who put you to the cross …

It was I, I my Lord, who nailed you there.

If anything is manifestly anti-Christian, it is anti-Semitism. Anti-Semitism is not a protest against an idea or an ideology; it is a sin against humanity, a crime that is especially tragic because it has no stopping point. Recall what is written in Revelation 18 concerning the judgment upon Babylon. The sellers weep over her “for no man buyeth their merchandise any more.” Everything is taken from her: gold, silver, precious stones, and fine linen, and finally … the souls of men. This is the awful thing about falling into the hands of men. If human beings have no worth, if children no more awaken pity, if man is without compassion, the final step is the opening of the gas chambers to receive their victims while the rest of the world goes unconcerned to the order of the day.

Happily, the order of God’s day is different. He thinks differently about his creatures, for he is merciful and compassionate. And through the witness of the church of Christ against the godlessness of anti-Semitism, the mercy of the Lord may yet be revealed.

Jacob J. Vellenga served on the National Board of Administration of the United Presbyterian Church from 1948–54. Since 1958 he has served the United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. as Associate Executive. He holds the A.B. degree from Monmouth College, the B.D. from Pittsburgh-Xenia Seminary, Th.D. from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and D.D. from Monmouth College, Illinois.

This issue affords an occasion for taking stock, though in a cursory manner, of the religious and particularly evangelical thought of the decade we have left behind us. So far as theological fame (or notoriety) goes, it may be described as the decade of the Three B’s—Barth, Brunner, and Bultmann, whose names, have dominated the headlines.

Karl Barth continues to work at his monumental Church Dogmatics, and translators continue to slave away at putting it into other languages. However critical one may be of his theology, one cannot avoid a feeling of regret that a man so brilliantly endowed with gifts of prophetic utterance should have allowed himself to be metamorphosed into a monolithic dogmatician.

Emil Brunner, one of the most readable and stimulating of contemporary thinkers, has, during the more recent years, lapsed into silence; but the influence of his dialectical theology shows no abatement in the power of its impact.

Rudolf Bultmann, whose reaction against orthodox theology has been considerably more radical than that of either Barth or Brunner, has eschewed the way of dialectic and has endeavored to speak to the modern world in the language of a theology that has come to terms with existentialist philosophy and so-called “modern science.” In doing so, he has demanded the “demythologization” of the Christian message, which in effect has involved for him the rejection of the supernatural and of historical truth considered as objectively significant.

The 50’s, however, have also witnessed the beginnings of a revival in evangelical theology and exegesis, and the movement which is gathering momentum is not limited geographically to our Western world, but is also making itself felt in lands on the other side of the globe where Christianity is still comparatively recent in appearance. It has come to expression also in the founding, during the last decade, of the International Association for Reformed Faith and Action, amongst whose activities is the provision of theological literature, both classical and contemporary, for the benefit particularly of younger churches and fellowships of Christians struggling midst difficulties to establish the witness of the Gospel.

The upsurge of interest in the doctrine and significance of the Reformers, especially of Calvin and Luther, is also a source of encouragement. In France Jean Cadier and Pierre Marcel are supervising the preparation of a new edition in modernized French of Calvin’s Institutes (already published) and Commentaries. In Great Britain the Beveridge translation of the Institutes has been republished, and T. F. Torrance, T. H. L. Parker, Ronald Wallace, Basil Hall, and others have been producing useful studies on different aspects of the thought of Calvin. Luther publications have included estimable contributions from the pen of Gordon Rupp and a two-volume collection of the German leader’s Reformation Writings edited by Bertram Lee Wolff. In the States, where the 50’s have been marked by a veritable plethora of religious publications, the great project of producing a 55-volume edition of Luther’s works in English translation under the joint editorship of Jaroslav Pelikan and Helmut Lehmann is now under way.

The field of New Testament exegesis has been entered in an ambitious manner by the launching of a series of commentaries contributed by evangelical scholars from different countries under the general title of The New International Commentary on the New Testament, edited by Ned Stonehouse of Philadelphia. Smaller in size and scope is the series of Tyndale Commentaries now being edited by R. V. G. Tasker and published by the Tyndale Press of the English Inter-Varsity Fellowship, which over the past 10 years has built up a reputation for the distinction, in format as well as in content, of the books it is producing.

In the sphere of Old Testament studies there has been less to show, though mention must be made of the writings of Edward Young of Philadelphia, which have gained for him the respect of other scholars though they find themselves unsympathetic with his conservative views.

Where theological studies and Christian apologetics are concerned, great interest has been aroused and at times controversy by the writings of Cornelius Van Til, also of Philadelphia, a deep and dedicated thinker whose influence is apparent in other countries besides his own. G. C. Berkouwer of Amsterdam, indefatigable writer of dogmatic works, has established a reputation as one well fitted to speak intelligently to our contemporary situation. We still await, however, the appearance of a systematic theologian for our day.

No survey of the 50’s would be complete without including the name of Herman Dooyeweerd of Amsterdam, beyond dispute one of the most erudite and profound thinkers of this generation, whose massive three-volume work De Wijsbegeerte der Wetsidee (translated in the U.S.A. under the title A New Critique of Theoretical Knowledge) is, together with his numerous other writings, proving of capital significance (especially on the Continent) in the formation of a genuinely Christian philosophy consistently constructed on the foundation of the revealed biblical scheme of creation-fall-redemption. As yet, however, his work is virtually unknown in England.

Finally, what of the future? I do not hesitate to say that, despite the ominous clouds of ignorance, apathy, antipathy, and anti-Christianity, not to mention the fog of liberalism which darkens the prospect, the future is full of hope. This hope is embodied in the growing number of younger men of real ability and intelligence who are coming forward to make their mark, under God, in the sphere of Evangelical and Reformed scholarship. Andrew Bonar once said that “wherever godliness is healthy and progressive we almost invariably find learning in the Church of Christ attendant on it.” If this new decade is one in which godliness is combined with learning, then we have every reason to be hopeful.

A tense battleground between Christianity and a new religion called Africanism may be shaping up in Ghana led by a brilliant, brooding man whose power is well nigh absolute and whose intentions are far from clear.

Prime Minister Kwame Nkrumah, who calls himself a non-sectarian Christian but patronizes the fetish priests, has placed no roadblocks in the way of the Christian evangelist and pastor since he led Ghana to independence two years ago.

But, when Christian leaders protested against a sacrilegious slogan underneath Nkrumah’s statue in front of the parliament building, they were told in effect to mind the church’s business and let the politicians take care of public affairs.

“Seek ye first the political kingdom and all other things shall be added unto you” was the headline of an editorial which belittled Billy Graham’s African tour and called Nkrumaism “the highest form of Christianity.” Most other press comments were friendly and the reports, although politically conscious, accurate.

Nkrumah himself was very cordial when Graham closed his Accra visit with a 20-minute visit to the prime minister. Graham told the Ghanaian that every great nation has cherished religious liberty. Nkrumah replied that such freedom is one of his country’s goals.

A diplomat in Accra said the good outweighs the bad in Nkrumah’s program. That point of view undoubtedly underlies the American and British policy of pouring millions of dollars into Ghanaian investments and loans.

Others see handwriting on the wall. They remember what happened in other lands when government of men replaced the rule of law. They read the government newspapers with sorrow and alarm.

“The church may face a choice between Christ and the nation,” said one African who was in Germany during Hitler’s rule. “If I spoke out strongly, I would likely be deported in three days,” said an influential European. Many fear that the days of non-African missionaries in Ghana are numbered.

Billy Graham’s visit was perhaps most significant in that it called together for pre-crusade training many keen African minds. It provided a stimulus for recruiting and briefing a sizable group of able counselors in several centers. Some of these soul winners are students; others are lay preachers, several of whom got their first clear grasp of the Gospel in the counseling classes.

The crusade also challenged the upper class, educated Africans, a number of whom were among the 3,000 inquirers. A wealthy African woman who heard part of a sermon over Radio Ghana sent her servant for a decision card so she could register her commitment to Christ.

Unprecedented crowds, totaling 45,000 in three cities, served to encourage lonely pastors who serve remote stations with little chance to sense the fellowship of the Lord’s hosts. These men returned from pastors’ meetings and crusade gatherings with a renewed grip and a fresh hope in their coming Lord.

The Christian population is estimated at about one-fourth of Ghana’s six millions. Of these, Catholics number 400,000; Presbyterians, 250,000; Methodists, 175,000; Anglicans, 40,000; Apostolics (similar to Assemblies of God), 20,000; Salvation Army, 10,000, and Baptists, 3,000. Exotic sects are numerous.

There is some liberalism among educated ministers and university students, but churches are largely evangelical, if somewhat formalistic. Most English-language sermons are read. Denominational rivalry is so intense that counselors for the Graham meetings were trained by their respective churches.

The danger inherent in the adulation heaped on Nkrumah is potential. A battle already has been joined between fetish priests and discerning Christians. Sometimes entire communities are asked to take part in purchasing and pouring libations. Church councils have refused to take part in ceremonials where libations were poured. On the local level those who take a forthright stand often are left alone while temporizers are hounded. Something like the Japanese Shinto shrine controversy may be in the making.

Nkrumah may promote a recrudescence of pagan rites in his search for the roots of African culture. Or he may be hailed as a sort of deity by his inner circle. One of them has said he would choose Nkrumah instead of Christ if he could have only one. Others call him Africa’s “messiah” and speak of him as “son of man”. His picture sometimes bears a halo. Women visit his mother chanting “blessed art thou among women.” He has crushed most of his political opponents. If the church opposes him openly, will its leaders be next?

All of this pan-Africanism is competing with the church for the attention of the ablest young people. Materialism, power and total devotion to a temporal goal tend to obscure vital spiritual vision. Billy Graham’s message on the Lordship of Christ and his emphasis on the hard demands of the Gospel were never more relevant than at the beginning of what he has called Africa’s “year of decision.”

Evenings of Music

Vocalist George Beverly Shea and pianist Tedd Smith, members of the Billy Graham team who are remaining in the United States during the evangelist’s African crusade, will appear in a series of evening concerts across the nation in coming weeks. Here is their schedule:

Eyeing the Mark

More than a billion dollars will be spent on church construction in 1960, according to a Department of Commerce forecast. A year-end estimate by the Census Bureau said church construction in 1959 hit an all-time high of $935,000,000.

Korean Reunion

A general assembly to reunite rival factions of the Presbyterian Church in Korea was scheduled February 17.

The church has been split since last fall when its 44th general assembly broke up in disorder. A minority party set up an assembly of its own.

Planners of the reunion assembly called upon the Board of World Missions of the Presbyterian Church in the U. S. to dispatch a representative to conduct a pre-assembly spiritual conference. The board commissioned one of its members, Dr. L. Nelson Bell, Executive Editor of CHRISTIANITY TODAY.

Dr. Bell’s assignment took him to Korea for the second time in little more than two months. In December he spent 12 days in Korea to try to effect a reconciliation. He returned saying the chances appeared good that dissidents would reach agreement. At that time he was accompanied by Dr. S. Hugh Bradley, the board’s Far East Secretary. This time he was scheduled to travel alone. Dr. Bell is a veteran of 25 years’ missionary service in China.

The call for reunification came from a reconciliation committee composed of representatives of both sides of the dispute. Neutrals and Americans and Australian Presbyterian missionaries also were on the committee.

A group of extremists in the minority faction are still holding out. The International Council of Christian Churches set up an office in Seoul to support this group.

Hospitals for Asia

World Vision is currently engaged in seven hospital building projects in Asia: In Korea, a children’s convalescent home near Seoul, an addition to a children’s hospital in Taegu, a children’s clinic in Taejon; in Formosa, a hospital for tuberculars in Po-li, a hospital for crippled children in Pingtung; in Hong Kong, a nursery school and clinic; in India, an in-patient ward for a hospital in Kattanam, Kerala.

World Vision’s support, in most cases, includes purchase of land, architectural service and cost of building materials.

Evangelical Protest

Five hundred clergymen belonging to what is generally known as the evangelical wing of the Church of England signed a protest in London last month against a movement toward Roman Catholic practices.

The protest was sent to the Archbishops of Canterbury and York. It called for the use of vestments to cease and recommended that the Bible be again established in fact and theory as “the final and supreme authority in all matters of faith and doctrine.”

Swedish Precedent

Swedish Lutherans will ordain their first women ministers in the spring, according to Archbishop Gunnar Hultgren, primate of the state church.

Three women are ordination candidates, all educated at Uppsala University, principal Swedish theological faculty.

Ordination of women was made possible under a bill passed by the legislature and the state church assembly in 1958 despite much protest.

Scoring Films

Two local chapters of the National Religious Publicity council, one in Los Angeles and the other in Washington, D. C., adopted resolutions last month which score overemphasis on sex and violence in motion pictures.

The NRPC is an interdenominational organization made up largely of religious writers and publicists.

‘Bible Storyland’

Businessmen in Cucamonga, California, are investing $15,000,000 in a 220-acre “Bible Storyland” scheduled to open Easter Sunday, 1961. Projected as a tourist attraction to compete with Disneyland in nearby Anaheim, “Bible Storyland” will include replicas of the Garden of Eden, Noah’s Ark, Jonah’s whale—even the “Pearly Gates of Heaven.” Visitors will be able to “sail down the Nile,” ride biblical animals, browse in exotic shops, and watch chariot races in a simulated Circus Maximum.

Old Testament Theater

A new theater for presentation of biblical and other historical plays is planned for Jerusalem. The project is under the patronage of Mrs. Rahel Ben-Zvi, wife of Israel’s president.

Protestant Panorama

• Some 70 delegates representing congregations which have defected from the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod over its refusal to sever relations with the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod held a three-day meeting in Mankato, Minnesota, last month to plan a new church organization. The dissidents, who feel that the Wisconsin Synod erred in not breaking with the Missouri Synod, expect to consider a constitution for their group in August. They charge the Missouri Synod with “unscriptural conduct.”

• The Augustana Lutheran Church’s Superior Conference, comprising 15 congregations, became last month the first Lutheran synod ever to join the Wisconsin Council of Churches.

• Southern Baptists plan to organize their 43 churches in seven Northeastern states into an association.

• The world’s largest cast bell carillon, made at the Petit and Fritsen bell foundry in Holland, will be installed in the new Kirk-in-the-Hills Presbyterian Church of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. The church is a $5 million reconstruction of Scotland’s Melrose Abbey, cradle of Presbyterianism.

• Methodists spent $986,278,000 on church construction in the last 10 years, according to Dr. B. P. Murphy, Methodist national missions official.

• A $5,500 disaster loan to Shiloh Baptist Church of Murphysboro, Illinois, which was damaged by a tornado, was announced by the Small Business Administration last month. A similar loan of $4,000 to the Holiness Church of Christ in Dale, South Carolina, which was damaged by a hurricane, also was disclosed.

• Evangelist Jimmie Johnson, vocalist Ed Lyman, and pianist-organist Merrill Dunlop will appear in three interdenominational evangelistic campaigns in New England this spring: April 3–17 in the Municipal Auditorium, Springfield, Massachusetts; April 24–May 8 in Foot Guard Hall, Hartford, Connecticut, closing out in Bushnell Auditorium; May 15–29 at Frye Hall, Portland, Maine.

• A 52-week television series is being filmed as a congregational project of the Highland Church of Christ in Abilene, Texas. The series, “Herald of Truth,” will be seen this year on 43 television stations across the United States. The same church has sponsored a “Herald of Truth” radio series for eight years.

• The interdenominational Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, California, is the beneficiary of the $1,500,000 estate of the late Alice M. Gayman. The school will receive the legacy after the death of several relatives who were bequeathed income from the estate.

• Church World Service, relief arm of the National Council of Churches, has established a goal of $11,418,000 for 1960.

• The Episcopal Church will introduce a new family magazine in April called The Episcopalian. It will replace Forth (current circulation: 51,000) as the monthly for more than 3,000,000 Episcopalians.

• Radio minister Dale Crowley of Washington, D. C., conducted his 13,000th broadcast this month.

• KADX, located in Naha, Okinawa, was dedicated February 7 as the twelfth station of the Far East Broadcasting Company’s Gospel radio network. The new station broadcasts in Japanese for the Ryukyuan population of Okinawa. The first FEBC station on Okinawa, KSAB, will now be programed in English for U. S. servicemen and their families stationed there. Still another transmitter is being erected, this one with a power of 100,000 watts to carry programs in Chinese.

• More than 6,000 Southern Baptist churches plan to conduct week-long schools of missions during 1960.

• A Hollywood producer says he is cancelling plans to shoot a new movie about campus life at Wake Forest College (“parts of the action are not in consonance with the school’s traditions”). Wake Forest, a Baptist school, does not permit dancing.

After 72 Years

Dr. Charles E. Fuller, 72, whose “Old Fashioned Revival Hour” is in its 36th year on the air, underwent a minor operation this month, the first he has ever had. He was expected to be hospitalized for about a week.

Six-Point Searchers

Evangelical editors and radio broadcasters absorbed some searching criticism out of their own ranks last month.

At Minneapolis—A. W. Tozer, editor of the Alliance Witness, among the 142 publications representing 29 denominations which go to make up the Evangelical Press Association, aired his dislikes in Christian journalism before the group’s 12th annual convention. He protested: (1) Preoccupation with externals which starve the hearts of readers; (2) the “revolt against the cult of ignorance and ugliness that ruled in fundamentalist circles” which has given rise to too much pseudo-intellectualism; (3) sensationalism (“gospel journalism gone sexy”); (4) excessive illustration (“no great Christian concept can be set forth pictorially”); (5) commercialism that promotes gimmicks ranging from “moonlight cruises for Christians” to tracts featuring “15 easy ways to win souls”; and (6) the how-to-do-it (“religious popular mechanics”).

At Washington, D. C.—Dr. Charles Hostetter, “Mennonite Hour” preacher called upon National Religious Broadcasters delegates to uphold their 17th annual convention theme (“Preserve Positive Preaching”) by (1) going back to the basic objectives and philosophy for being in the work, to give spiritual help rather than woo fan mail and contributions; (2) depending upon the power of prayer and God, rather than upon the arm of flesh; (3) taking care that material responsibilities do not crowd out desire for program quality; (4) avoiding excessive interest in gimmicks, mail counts, monies received, ratings, and reputation; (5) displaying transparent honesty (“we are constantly tempted to slant the facts and to distort the truth”); and (6) remembering that radio is “just one of the tools that the church should be using,” not necessarily the most important one.

Dr. Oswald C. J. Hoffman, speaker on the “Lutheran Hour,” most widely-heard broadcast of any kind in the world, told NRB delegates that paid-versus-free time was no longer their “big issue.” He said the chief concern was “much larger” now, that it involved freedom of religion on the air plus quality of programming.

Pointing the Way

Not since “The Ten Commandments” has a religious motion picture received as much attention as “Ben-Hur,” now appearing in theaters across the country.CHRISTIANITY TODAYasked one of its contributing editors, Dr. Harold J. Ockenga, pastor of Park Street Church in Boston, for a report. Here are Dr. Ockenga’s impressions:

Ben-Hur is more than a popular spectacle. It is the story of the spiritual experience of one man, Judah Ben-Hur, in his personal conquest of prejudice, hate, vengeance and racial pride.

The religious issues are handled with reverance, respect and restraint. No Jew or Christian could take offense at it. Moreover, though the story is tenderly romantic, it is totally without the usual Hollywood touch of sex. The biblical scenes are geographically and historically accurate, the photography is superb, the massive scenes such as the chariot race, the sea battle and the triumphal procession are interesting and authentic, and the pictures of Christ, whether teaching or suffering, are restrained and chaste. Commendable is the practice of only portraying a figure of Christ without showing his face.

If we are to have biblical stories and events presented to us on the screen, then Ben-Hur, which while not in itself a biblical story is closely attached to it, points the way to better presentation.

The Pendulum’s Swing

Dr. Melvin M. Forney, executive director of the Lord’s Day Alliance of the United States, told delegates to its 71st annual meeting last month that the “flagrant desecration” of Sunday by business enterprises “is fast coming to an end.”

“The pendulum has swung about as far as it can in the direction of the Commercialism of the Lord’s Day,” Forney said. “A majority of good citizens are beginning to realize the peril we face as a nation should we lose the Lord’s Day as a day of rest and worship.”

Olympic Church

A 150-seat chapel whose architectural lines reflect the sweeping grandeur of surrounding ridges and valleys stands ready to serve participants and spectators in this week’s Winter Olympics at Squaw Valley, California.

The United Church of Squaw Valley, built with $140,000 donated by national home missions boards of the Congregational Christian and Evangelical and Reformed Churches, will hold four Sunday services plus prayer meetings each evening. Snacks will be served in a fellowship room which adjoins the sanctuary.

In charge of services is the Rev. J. Hood Snavely of Woodside, California. He will be assisted by the Rev. Mitchell Whiterabbit, American Indian pastor from Wisconsin who is a skilled winter sports enthusiast.

The chapel, flanked by the 300-seat Queen of the Snows Roman Catholic Church on a nearby slope, is the only Protestant congregation in the valley. After the games, it will serve valley residents and the thousands who will visit the area when it is eventually turned into a year-round resort and recreational retreat as a state park.

Dibelius to Resign

Bishop Otto Dibelius, most noted of German clergy leaders, says he will resign all his church posts at the end of 1961.

Dibelius, 79, is head of the Evangelical (Lutheran) Church in Berlin-Brandenburg, chairman of the Council of the Evangelical Church in Germany, and a co-president of the World Council of Churches.

He made the announcement on the eve of a meeting of the Berlin-Brandenburg synod, which covers West Berlin and part of the Soviet Zone.

Delegates subsequently gave Dibelius a resounding vote of confidence. The vote came after a debate on a recent controversial booklet by the bishop in which he declares that neither the East German regime nor any other totalitarian government has a claim to the status of “supreme authority” in the biblical sense of the term. The “supreme authority” issue was known to have divided the synod into pro-Dibelius and anti-Dibelius groups. The bishop formally retracted one example used in the booklet, but reaffirmed the principles cited therein.

Dibelius has said that “when, under the Nazis, euthanasia, crimes and the killings of Jews became known, I realized that the conventional interpretation of St. Paul’s Epistle to the Romans (concerning the supreme authority of the state) could not be applied to a state which wants to decide itself what is good and bad.”

Dibelius has been under the attack of Communists repeatedly. One of the latest criticisms appeared in an East Berlin newspaper, which attributed anti-Semitic statements to the bishop. Dibelius admitted writing statements against German Jews in the late twenties and early thirties, then explained: “These utterances date from a time now 30 years past and can be explained as part of completely different conditions. Since then I have always, under jeopardy of my own freedom and life, emphatically stood up for Jewish fellow citizens.”

Exchange of Letters

Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras sent a letter to Pope John XXIII last month announcing that an all-Orthodox synod to be held later this year should determine whether the Eastern Orthodox communion takes part in the coming Ecumenical Council summoned by the pontiff.

The patriarch’s letter was in reply to one sent by the pope last Christmas. The pontiff appealed to Patriarch Athenagoras to contribute to Christian unity.

The Patriarch said the Orthodox synod would probably be held in September.

Japanese Tally

Latest statistics released in Tokyo last month show 678,258 Christians in Japan, a gain of approximately 35,000 over figures compiled in 1958.

According to the Japanese Christian Year Book for 1960, these include 376,267 Protestants, 266,608 Roman Catholics, and 35,293 Eastern Orthodox.

Candidate for Moderator

The Rev. Edler G. Hawkins, moderator of the New York City Presbytery, will be its candidate for moderator of the General Assembly of the United Presbyterian Church in the U. S. A.

If elected at the assembly’s 172nd meeting in Cleveland, May 18–25, Hawkins would become the first Negro ever to head a major, predominantly-white denomination in this country.

Since his graduation from Union Theological Seminary 21 years ago, Hawkins has served as pastor of St. Augustine Presbyterian Church in the Bronx, a congregation of mostly Negroes, but with some Puerto Ricans and whites.

Tale of a Fortune

The U. S. Internal Revenue Service this month filed a $5,990,648 income tax lien against the estate of Charles Manuel “Daddy” Grace, Negro cult leader who died January 12.

The action, according to a spokesman, involved one of the largest sums from a single estate in the history of the Internal Revenue Service.

The value of the Grace estate has been estimated as high as $25 million.

Worth Quoting

“While politicians dicker over the matter of a man’s religious denomination, let us not fail to inquire into his business associations. It would be the height of stupidity for Methodists, in the name of ecumenicity, to help elect a president whose source of wealth comes partly from whiskey. Or for churchmen to help elect to office men who would encourage the further growth of the menacing gambling racket.”—Dr. Caradine R. Hooton, in the general secretary’s report to the annual meeting last month of the Methodist Board of Temperance.

Shift of Emphasis

Despite several years’ discussion, including two national gatherings of the Committee on Religion and Public Education, the NCC Division of Christian Education has been unable as yet to formulate a guiding policy statement on religion in the public schools.

Due to lack of unanimity on key issues, the Commission on General Christian Education and the Executive Board of the Division of Christian Education, meeting February 18 in St. Louis (where the project launched in 1955), were expected to shift NCC emphasis—for the time being at least—from policy formulation to “approval” of the committee report as a “study document” to stimulate further discussion at the level of denominations, church councils, and local churches. (The word “approval” carries ambiguous overtones. The chairman and secretary of the Committee on Religion and Public Education [in its Progress Report No. 9] 1. asked the Executive Board of NCC’s Division of Christian Education for “approval for wide distribution and study” and 2. notified members of the Committee that the Commission and then the Executive Board were being requested “to approve the document and to authorize its distribution for study.”) Subject to future editorial revision in details, the present “study document” still retains difficulties to which CHRISTIANITY TODAY has already called attention.

The report insists that 1. Public schools should recognize the function of religion in American life (“most Americans approach the basic values of life,” the report notes, “in the light of the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man”). 2. Public schools should maintain a climate friendly to religion. 3. Public schools should assure a person’s right to choose his own beliefs. But what of the role of Christianity in public education? The answer thus far—and it is not without its critics—is: “Christian citizens … should steer clear of any attempt to force their particular religious viewpoint upon the public schools; on the other hand, they should not be a party to a policy of silence which would permit an anti-religious point of view to characterize our schools.” This position—some observers protest—virtually reduces Protestantism to a “pro-religious, non-Christian” front in public education.

In lieu of an opening statement of theological affirmations, the study document begins with a comment on “theological differences” and then deviates to subjective religious “convictions” and “attitudes.” The report asserts that “a pluralistic society” precludes teaching “a sectarian faith” in public schools. But it seems indifferent to the fact that a religion-in-general credo is also, in its own way, partisan. The report champions the desirability of “spiritual values” achieved through “functional” rather than “sectarian” religion. The public school should emphasize that “religion is important” but leave “indoctrinating a belief in God” to home and church, c. F. H. H.

A Clergyman’s Ouster

The Rev. Harold J. Quigley, minister of the Central Presbyterian Church in Haverstraw, New York, was removed from his pastorate last month and stricken from the membership rolls of the United Presbyterian Church in the U. S. A.

He was deprived of his standing by a vote of 46 to 7 of the Hudson Presbytery. The action was taken after Quigley had appeared voluntarily before the presbytery to report that he had theological differences with his denomination. He has denied the deity of Jesus Christ and the divine authorship of the Bible.

Maine’s Refusal

In Maine, where public transportation of parochial students has been a perennial issue, the legislature defeated an enabling bill last month.

The state Senate voted down, 18 to 15, a bill which would have permitted public transportation of parochial school pupils on a local option basis. A similar measure in the House was rejected by a 76–69 vote.

The Maine Supreme Court has ruled that use of public funds for private and parochial school bus service is illegal under present laws.

The court has said, however, that it sees no constitutional barrier if the legislature should ever choose to pass an enabling act.

People: Words And Events

Deaths: Dr. Frederick W. Burnham, 88, noted Disciples’ pastor and administrator, past president of the United Christian Missionary Society and International Convention of Disciples of Christ, in Richmond, Virginia … Dr. John Henry Strong, 92, son of the influential Northern Baptist theologian, Augustus Hopkins Strong, in Santa Barbara, California … Dr. Walter S. Davidson, 75, dean emeritus of Auburn Theological Seminary, in East Hampton, New York … Dr. John F. B. Carruthers, retired Navy and Air Force chaplain, organizer and past president of the United Nations Chaplains League, in Pasadena, California … Dr. Clarence W. Hatch, 57, executive secretary of the executive council of the Church of God, in Anderson, Indiana … Dr. J. E. Lambdin, 70, retired secretary of the Training Union department of the Baptist Sunday School Board, in Nashville, Tennessee … Dr. J. Andrew Hall, 92, for 35 years a medical and evangelistic missionary to the Philippines.

Retirement: As vice president of Trinity Seminary and Bible College, Dr. T. Berner Madsen.

Appointments: As pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis, Tennessee, Dr. Ramsey Pollard, president of the Southern Baptist Convention … as associate executive secretary of the Division of Home Missions of the National Council of Churches, Dr. H. Conrad Hoyer (to take the new post, he resigned as executive secretary of the Division of American Missions of the National Lutheran Council) … as chaplain-general of Protestant chaplain services in Canada’s armed forces, Air Commodore the Rev. Dr. Frank W. MacLean … as president of Southwestern Bible Institute, Dr. Klaude Kendrick (succeeding the Rev. M. E. Collins, who is retiring from administrative responsibilities to accept an instructional post with the school) … as managing editor of The Christian Century, Dr. Kyle E. Haselden.

Elections: As president of the Evangelical Press Association, Joseph Bayly, editor of His … as Protestant co-chairman of the National Conference of Christians and Jews, Carrol M. Shanks, president of the Prudentail Insurance Company of America … as bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Saskatchewan, Canon William H. H. Crump … as president of the New York Bible Society, John J. Dahne … as president of the Interdenominational Religious Work Foundation, the Rev. Robert R. Sala … as chairman of the Ministers Life and Casualty Union, Dr. Armin G. Weng, president of Chicago Lutheran Theological Seminary.

President Eisenhower’s decision to visit South America this month is an indication of the increasingly important role that continent is assuming in world affairs.

Attention currently focused on South America, however, is not entirely of a political and diplomatic character. Religious leaders likewise are eyeing South America’s 131,000,000 with unprecedented interest. Reason for the added religious recognition: Roman Catholicism is losing its hold. The Catholic hierarchy is openly alarmed.

Romanist concern is for the entire area south of the border. Last fall, bishops representative of all the Western Hemisphere assembled in Washington for their first such joint session. Uppermost on the agenda was how to stem the Protestant tide in Latin America.

Blared the cover of the January 9 issue of The Ave Maria, Catholic home weekly: “Is THE CHURCH LOSING LATIN AMERICA? By 1990 … Half the World’s Catholics may be Lost to the Faith!”

Inside, a six-page spread featured an interview with the Rev. Roger E. Vekemans, Belgian Jesuit who is director of the school of sociology of the Catholic Pontifical University of Chile.

“Since coming to Chile,” said the introduction, “Father Vekemans has become convinced that the Church in Latin America can be saved only if the Catholic countries in the world mobilize in a gigantic missionary effort to rescue it.”

Vekemans concedes the percentage of Roman Catholics in Latin America is “falling rapidly” and conversely, “it seems that it can be proved” that “the non-Catholic population is growing faster.”

Is Protestant growth showing a corresponding increase?

“Phenomenally,” says Dr. John A. Mackay, Presbyterian elder statesman and an expert on religious trends in Latin America, where he spent 16 years as a missionary educator.

“There are now more native-born Protestant pastors in Brazil than native-born Roman Catholic priests,” he observed.

Mackay asserts, moreover, that many people in the United States are realizing that American influence has slipped, and that the 20 republics of Latin America are no longer to be taken for granted.

The World Presbyterian Alliance became the first global confessional body to meet on Latin American soil when it held its 18th General Council in Sao Paulo last summer.

This month the World Council of Churches held its first major meeting in Latin America (the semi-annual Executive Committee meeting in Buenos Aires, February 8–12). Host was Methodist Bishop Santa Uberto Barbieri of Buenos Aires, a member of the six-man World Council presidium.

In June, Rio de Janeiro will be the site of the Baptist World Congress.

Mackay points to the increasing respect Protestantism has gained with Latin American governments. During the World Presbyterian Alliance meeting, President Kubitschek of Brazil paid an official visit and thus became the first South American chief executive to attend a public Protestant service.

Mackay credits Catholic leaders with becoming more realistic about the number of their true followers in Latin America. A competent Romanist survey, he says, has disclosed that only 10 per cent of the population of Chile shows a “real interest” in the Catholic church while Protestants can now claim 11 per cent, largely as a result of Pentecostal missionary work.

Roman Catholic alarm over the Protestant tide south of the border can be expected to result in a crash program of missionary endeavor. Already, priests are said to be pouring in (their own current estimate of Catholic missionaries in Latin America: 2,600).

Observes Mackay: “Roman Catholics in America and in France have become very critical of Hispanic Catholicism. They have at last awakened to the fact that it is not a worthy expression of Christianity or of Catholicism. Their concern has led them to pour in missionaries.”

To coordinate a Protestant counteroffensive, Mackay advocates the assembling of a congress representative of all Protestant missionary work in Latin America, both denominational and independent. He says such a meeting could promote study and understanding of trends and problems. It is tentatively set for Peru in 1961.

The history of Protestantism in Latin America is punctuated with violence (recent examples: persecution by Roman Catholics in Colombia, the slayings of the five missionary men by the Auca Indians in Ecuador). Vice President Nixon, in his trip to South America last year, learned first-hand how severe Latin hostility can be.

Some observers feel that the current Protestant surge springs from the perseverance of missionaries who have labored steadily despite intense adversity.

Many sense that Protestantism is on the threshold of a new era in Latin America which, given an atmosphere of liberty and objectivity, will see remarkable strides in the spread of the Gospel. They stress, however, that the gains will depend largely upon how alert Protestants will be to their new opportunities.